Managing older assets your organization no longer needs
Removal of surplus IT equipment is an unavoidable outcome of the equipment refresh process, and must be closely coordinated with the implementation of new technology. As businesses replace IT equipment that no longer meets their needs, they face a challenge. You might call it the “end-of-use dilemma.” Deciding what to do with older or surplus equipment taken out of service presents an important opportunity— as well as risks. By thinking ahead, organizations can maximize upside possibilities, and minimize or eliminate risks associated with retirement of old IT equipment.
Privacy tops the risk-list. Surplus equipment may contain customer account information or other proprietary data that must be secured, then thoroughly erased or destroyed.
Environmental concerns are equally important. Did you know there are more than 163 pieces of legislation in the world pertaining to the disposal of end-of-life technology? Electronic equipment often contains heavy metals and other hazardous substances, and must be refurbished or recycled properly. Careless handling can endanger people and the environment, and expose the enterprise to legal liability and damaging publicity.
Loss of asset value also poses a significant risk. When removed from service, much IT equipment can be remarketed. As time passes, however, its value declines, even as the cost to warehouse assets rises. Fast action can reduce holding costs and return maximum value to the bottom line.
For multinational companies, properly handling technology at end-of-life means keeping up with all of the legislation. That could translate to significant resources and potential risk. Organizations with sufficient scale may be able to support such a specialized function internally. For most enterprises, however, outsourcing the work to a professional IT removal specialist is the preferred solution.
HP has helped customers manage the risk of dealing with surplus IT equipment for more than two decades. HP Financial Services offers a full range of asset recovery services for customer-owned IT equipment. We handle more than 12,000 pickups annually and are actively managing more than a quarter million assets. We can arrange asset disposition where and when you need it. Once picked up, we will dispose of all of your equipment according to local environmental laws and we can ensure that your data is handled according to data security legislation.
Keeping track of 163 pieces of legislation can be a big task, but by working with a trusted partner like HP Financial Services, you can make that task a lot smaller.
Learn more about our asset disposition services.
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